1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an operation method of a multi-flow passage device, and a multi-flow passage device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as a method for manufacturing a desired reaction product by contacting fluid reactants (raw material fluids) and mixing them, a method with the use of a multi-flow passage device referred to as a so-called micro-channel reactor is known.
The micro-channel reactor includes a substrate formed with fine grooves on the surface, and the fine grooves formed on the surface of the substrate act as a reaction flow passage for mixing raw material fluids. In the multi-flow passage device, by passing raw material fluids to be reacted through the reaction flow passage, area of contact between the raw material fluids to be reacted per unit volume is dramatically increased, which results in enhancement of mixing efficiency of the raw material fluids. The micro-channel reactor is used for such an application as manufacturing of chemical compounds or medicines.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-168173 discloses an example of a micro-channel reactor among multi-flow passage devices. The micro-channel reactor includes a first introduction passage for allowing a first reactant (a first raw material fluid) necessary for the reaction to flow in the reactor; and a second introduction passage that joins at the halfway point in the flow direction of the first introduction passage and allows a second reactant (a second raw material fluid) to flow. Then, the first reactant flowing through the first introduction passage and the second reactant flowing through the second introduction passage are brought into a chemical reaction in a confluent passage of the both passages, and the generated reaction product is carried to outside of a reaction flow passage via the first introduction passage.
Meanwhile, the multi-flow passage device having such a structure as the micro-channel reactor may be used as a heat exchanger for heating and cooling a target fluid.
When the first raw material fluid and the second raw material fluid are introduced into the reaction flow passage of the micro-channel reactor as shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-168173, there is fear that the reaction flow passage may be blocked because it is formed by very fine grooves. Therefore, in the actual circumstances, for example, prior to introducing the first reactant or the second reactant into the reaction flow passage, existence of blockage of the reaction flow passage must be confirmed by purposely passing a fluid for inspection therethrough. If the reaction flow passage is blocked, the substrate constituting the reaction flow passage must be disassembled for cleaning the entire reaction flow passage. That is, in the micro-channel reactor of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-168173, the measures for detecting blockage (referred to as blockage detection) and cleaning are not taken in the reaction flow passage, so that blockage detection and cleaning of the reaction flow passage were quite difficult.
The present invention is an invention achieved in consideration of the above problem, and has an object to provide an operation method of a multi-flow passage device, and a multi-flow passage device that are capable of readily performing blockage detection of a reaction flow passage and also capable of easily performing cleaning of the reaction flow passage.